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Modifiable risk factors for dementia and dementia risk profiling. A user manual for Brain Health Services-part 2 of 6
Ranson JM, Rittman T, Hayat S, Brayne C, Jessen F, Blennow K, van Duijn C, Barkhof F et al.. Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2021-10-11
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Rare variants should only be investigated in users with a family history of early-onset dementia in a first degree relative. Advanced imaging with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) or amyloid PET may be informative in high risk users to clarify the nature and burden of their underlying pathologies. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers are not recommended for this setting, and blood-based biomarkers need further validation before clinical use. As new technologies become available, advances in artificial intelligence are likely to improve our ability to combine diverse data to further enhance risk profiling. Ultimately, Brain Health Services have the potential to reduce the future burden of dementia through risk profiling, risk communication, personalized risk reduction, and cognitive enhancement interventions.
Key findings
- Rare variants should only be investigated in users with a family history of early-onset dementia in a first degree relative.
- Advanced imaging with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) or amyloid PET may be informative in high risk users to clarify the nature and burden of their underlying pathologies.
- Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers are not recommended for this setting, and blood-based biomarkers need further validation before clinical use.
- As new technologies become available, advances in artificial intelligence are likely to improve our ability to combine diverse data to further enhance risk profiling.
- Ultimately, Brain Health Services have the potential to reduce the future burden of dementia through risk profiling, risk communication, personalized risk reduction, and cognitive enhancement interventions.
Why it matters
This user manual discusses risk profiling for dementia, noting that rare genetic variants should only be investigated in users with a family history of early-onset dementia and that blood-based biomarkers need further validation. It concerns risk assessment and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer's research & therapy) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s Research & Therapy: journal h-index 146 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 107 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.3 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 11 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 73 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Leonie N.C. Visser: h-index 24 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 26 institution(s) in 8 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34635138) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00895-4
- PubMed: 34635138
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s Research & Therapy →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Ranson, J. M., Rittman, T., Hayat, S., Brayne, C., Jessen, F., Blennow, K., et al. (2021). Modifiable risk factors for dementia and dementia risk profiling. A user manual for Brain Health Services-part 2 of 6. Alzheimer's research & therapy. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-021-00895-4
Vancouver
Ranson JM, Rittman T, Hayat S, Brayne C, Jessen F, Blennow K, et al. Modifiable risk factors for dementia and dementia risk profiling. A user manual for Brain Health Services-part 2 of 6. Alzheimer's research & therapy. 2021. doi:10.1186/s13195-021-00895-4. PMID: 34635138.
BibTeX
@article{ranson2021-34635138,
author = {Ranson, J. M. and Rittman, T. and Hayat, S. and Brayne, C. and Jessen, F. and Blennow, K. and van Duijn, C. and Barkhof, F. and others},
title = {{Modifiable risk factors for dementia and dementia risk profiling. A user manual for Brain Health Services-part 2 of 6}},
journal = {Alzheimer's research \& therapy},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1186/s13195-021-00895-4},
pmid = {34635138},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-021-00895-4}
}
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